Ben Green

An annual Christmas crackdown aimed at cutting the number of drink-driving incidents on Derbyshire’s roads has begun.

Part of the campaign is this heard-hitting video which shows some of the carnage that has been caused on the county’s roads by drink drivers.

A drink driving awareness campaign has been launched

Chief Inspector Tracy Lewis, head of roads policing in the county, said: “Many people head out to celebrate over Christmas and New Year and have a drink, and the message we are giving is simple – if you do have a drink, don’t get behind the wheel.

“Alcohol can have a massive impact on driver awareness and reaction times, and the devastation drink-driving can cause is huge.

“We run this campaign every year and the aim is to keep our roads safe. We will be stopping cars and doing breath tests, and we will take action against anyone who is over the limit.

“If you have a drink and then get behind the wheel, you could lose your licence, end up in prison, or cause a tragic accident. It simply isn’t worth taking the risk.

“If you someone who has had an alcoholic drink and is about to drive off, call us on 999 so we can take immediate action and help keep our roads safe.”

Drink- and drug-drive operations take place throughout the year but police place a particular focus on December, due to the number of social events held over the festive season.

During last year’s Christmas campaign, officers administered 391 breath tests and of those, 79 drivers (almost 20 per cent) gave a positive test, refused to take it, or failed to provide a sample.

Anyone who has information on someone they suspect may drink and drive should call police on 101.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. To qualify for a reward from Crimestoppers, people must report information directly to the charity and not to police. The information must then lead to a conviction in court.